Live review: Aerosmith thunders back at the Bowl

[caption id="attachment_96873" align="alignnone" width="580" caption="Correct: That is not Steven Tyler with Aerosmith at the Hollywood Bowl. Its from the bands appearance at the American Idol finale in May. Due to photo restrictions, the Register opted not to shoot Monday night."][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_96877" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Click above for more fan photos from the Bowl."][/caption]

Steven Tyler is rapidly distancing himself from American Idol and doing so in his finest form, alongside the original Bad Boys of Boston: guitarists Joe Perry and Brad Whitford, bassist Tom Hamilton and drummer Joey Kramer.

In fact, Monday night at the Hollywood Bowl – Aerosmith's first Southern California performance since 2010 – Tyler & Co. embarked on a blatant mission to separate themselves from the sugared pop of their late '80s/early '90s MTV-enhanced resurrection, instead honing in on the harder, blues-edged material that marked their rise to fame in the '70s.

Granted, they did sneak in a couple new tracks (“Oh Yeah” and current single “Legendary Child”) off their upcoming 15th studio album, Music from Another Dimension! Yet even those were flavored with similar seasonings from 1975's Toys in the Attic and the next year's Rocks, and at the Bowl they came sandwiched between hearty cuts from that era. Which suggests that even though they're shooting to make another comeback more than four decades on, they understand that taking a giant leap back is sometimes the best step toward moving forward.

In that regard, the first two tracks Monday night, a ripping “Draw the Line” (from '77) and a gloss-free “Love in an Elevator” ('89), functioned as a barometer for the gig. The set list explored material almost exclusively before and (to a lesser degree) after the release of those tunes, save for one insert: “Rag Doll” (off 1987's Permanent Vacation), which, given its bluesy approach, with Perry adding some wicked pedal steel, fully deserved a spot in this assortment.

The same should be noted for anything selected from the group's '90s catalog this night. Instead of expected hits that might appeal to Idol viewers ( “Cryin',” “Janie's Got a Gun,” “I Don't Want to Miss a Thing”), this pumped-up audience was treated to a shred-filled “Livin' on the Edge,” an effortlessly finger-picked “Boogie Man” (hot on the heels of Perry's searing cover of Henry Mancini's “Peter Gun Theme”) and the power-ballad “What It Takes,” its country-rock shadings greatly enhanced, its soulfulness evident from the get-go thanks to an a cappella opening verse from Tyler.

All were executed with seamless swagger – via Perry's and Whitford's blazing hammer-ons and Tyler's spot-on (if only occasionally) scratchy falsetto forays – that helped restored Aerosmith's iconic, classic-rock image. As on their revitalizing 2004 blues assortment Honkin' on Bobo, they played as if they had something to prove – as if reconnecting to their roots. Longtime fans would likely agree: They haven't sounded so fierce in years.

Surely the show's grandest moments were derived from the quintet's seminal period. A thundering, saxophone-zapped go at “Same Old Song and Dance” came near the start, an invigorating rendition of the Beatles' “Come Together" (a live staple since 1979's ill-fated Sgt. Pepper film with Peter Frampton and the Bee Gees) had the packed house belting out the chorus, while the definitive walking-guitar grooves of “Last Child” (with a short vamp on Sly & the Family Stone's “Sing a Simple Song”) and “Sweet Emotion” provided Tyler's most impressive vocal feats by far, next to the impossibly high-pitched finale of the encore kick-starter “Dream On.”

That song's finish – complete with Perry and Tyler taking turns jamming atop a white grand piano placed at the center of a stage-extending catwalk – underscored Aerosmith's capacity for creating unforgettably epic rock moments, even without an over-extravagant stage setup (they neglected to use the Bowl's side screens and avoided pyrotechnics or other special effects). I'd also rank their dirty garage-blues cover of the early Fleetwood Mac's “Stop Messin' Around” (spotlighting Perry's vocals and guitar until Tyler burst from the shadows for an outstanding harmonica solo) among the evening's top moments.

Yet, though it's a standard showstopper, the group's encore-ending tear through Tiny Bradshaw's “Train Kept A-Rollin'” held the sweetest surprise: a guest guitar spot from Johnny Depp. After a night packed with more bone-crunching riffs than pretty singalongs, the actor's appearance, which led to several genuinely impressive duels with Perry and Whitford, was a fitting cherry on top – not to mention a cool strategy for infusing freshness into a classic tune.

Not that such a tremendous jam – or any of the night's songs, for that matter – really needed sprucing up. Displaying chops more daring and captivating than most of today's new rock hotshots, Aerosmith proved there's no point in teaching old dogs new tricks when it's clearly more fun to see them kill it on the ones they know best. Save for the glaring omission of “Back in the Saddle” and perhaps a few more gems like “Mama Kin” and “Lord of the Thighs” to go along with deep cuts like “Combination” and a roaring rendition of “Rats in the Cellar,” this was a gig tailored for old-school fans.

They sent out a message: Aerosmith would rather rock 'til they drop before retiring to prime-time television.

Opening act Cheap Trick seems to perform from a similar standpoint these days. There was no denying the sultry finesse of lead vocalist Robin Zander on “California Man” (including a few traces of Elvis Presley and Buddy Holly) and their stomping cover of Fats Domino's “Ain't That a Shame,” the latter further bolstered by Whitford's guest spot alongside Rick Nielsen on lead guitar.But Zander, clad in glammy white Dream Police attire, couldn't quite achieve such satisfying smoothness on the highest notes of “Need Your Love” and their reviving '80s power ballad “The Flame.”

But those minor blemishes pale next to an obvious powerhouse like “Surrender.” Like the best of Aerosmith this night, tracks like that one were reminders of just how exciting a classic rock act can be after so many years, especially if the setting is perfect and the band is hyped.

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